"Really loud"

And despite Wisconsin statutes that bar modifying stock exhaust systems on motorcycles, some bikers do make modifications, for a number of reasons.

"They say loud pipes save lives," Barrett explained. "Someone might turn their head, they might notice you whereas they wouldn't have otherwise. There's also an argument, some people say they get a little more performance out of the motorcycle. That could be the case, but for the most part I think the performance issue is not so much."

For other riders, Barrett said, the appeal of a louder exhaust is simple. "Some just like the sound. It's just a beautiful sound to them."

"Very disruptive"

But what's beautiful to some riders is an intrusion to some residents.

"For some people, this is just very disruptive," Barrett said. "If you live downtown, especially, in the summer evenings, this can go late at night, early in the mornings, sometimes. It's pretty loud. Some people just choose to leave on the weekends, especially if there's a large motorcycle event or rally, they'll just get up and leave town for that weekend."

Audiologists have said there's also a danger of hearing loss from loud exhausts.

Police are authorized to issue tickets to riders over motorcycle noise. But Barrett said authorities write few of them.

"They look at it, I suppose, like everything else — on a case by case basis," Barrett said. "The statutes are there, they could be enforced. But I think police departments will tell you a couple of things. If there are motorcycle rallies in town, they're going to say, look, you've got to expect some more noise, that's just part of it. The other thing they'll probably tell you is that their resources are stretched pretty thin, and they're probably more concerned about public safety issues than they are a noise issue."

Another factor in the debate: Wisconsin's and Milwaukee's pride in being the home of iconic motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson.

"The heritage here with motorcycles is deep," Barrett said. "A lot of people just really like that sound of the bikes, and if it's louder in their minds, it's better."

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